Throw a Backyard Fall Festival in Cedar Park, TX: A Halloween Party Plan for Ages 5–10

Halloween week is here, and for kids between 5 and 10, trick-or-treating is just the warm-up — the party is what they talk about at school on Monday. If your family is in Cedar Park, Round Rock, or anywhere around Leander, a backyard fall festival is the easiest way to host a crowd this age: stations keep them moving, nobody gets bored, and you don't need a trampoline park budget to pull it off. Here's the exact setup parents actually book.

Start with the anchor: one big attraction

Every great fall festival has one thing kids line up for. For this age group, two options always win:

• Large bounce house L1 ($120 for 24 hours) — fits up to 10 kids at a time, rated ages 6–8. It's the workhorse of elementary parties.
• Medium bounce house M4 ($90 for 24 hours) — fits up to 8 kids and is great for Halloween bounce contests. Hand the best-costumed jumper a bag of candy and watch the line form.

Hosting the whole street or a school crowd? Go big with the Giant obstacle course ($200) — it's built for large events and carnivals, and it makes your yard the one kids talk about all year.

Station 1: pumpkin painting (not carving)

Five-to-ten-year-olds love pumpkin decorating, but carving tools and this age group are a bad mix. Mini pumpkins + washable paint = all the fun, zero knives. You need tables for the mess: our 6-ft rectangle tables ($5 each) plus chairs ($1 each) set up a craft row in about ten minutes. Lay a cheap plastic tablecloth and cleanup is a two-minute job.

Station 2: carnival games

Keep it classic and cheap: ring toss, a beanbag throw, or "pin the nose on the pumpkin" made on poster board. Small candy prizes from the dollar aisle do the heavy lifting here. The games cost you almost nothing — the bounce house is the showstopper that makes everything else feel bigger.

Station 3: the food zone

Kids in costumes overheat fast, so cold drinks are non-negotiable. Park a soda cooler ($15, 200-can capacity) by the bounce house exit. For hot food, a pair of chafing dishes with fuel ($5) keeps hot dogs or pizza rolls warm for the whole party. Put the food table in the middle of the yard — it's where parents naturally gather, and that's fine. Parents who can actually talk to each other are parents who'll book you for the next party.

Don't forget dusk: light it up

Halloween parties roll into the evening, and a dark yard with costumed kids running around is a recipe for twisted ankles. A pair of our flood lights ($10 each) keeps the game stations and the bounce house bright after sunset — a small detail that makes your house the natural meetup spot before the neighborhood trick-or-treat run.

Two rules that keep it safe and fun

First, costume safety at the bounce house: capes, scarves, long masks, and hard props (swords, wands, crowns) come off before bouncing. Set up a little "costume check" table by the entrance and you never have to play referee.

Second, watch the wind. Our standard rule is no bouncing in winds over 15 mph sustained — check the forecast the morning of the party, and if it gusts during the event, everyone sits out until it calms. Late October in Central Texas is usually perfect bounce weather, but a quick check takes thirty seconds.

The budget math

A full festival setup — L1 bounce house ($120) + two tables ($10) + 16 chairs ($16) + soda cooler ($15) + two flood lights ($20) — comes to $181 for a full 24 hours, with pickup and return 9 AM–9 PM. Swap in the M4 bounce house instead of the L1 and you're at $151. That's a party for 15–20 kids at under ten bucks a head.